Red Line Rail: Lagos Is An Example Of How Vision Exalts Democracy – Tinubu

• Tinubu inaugurated the new intra-city metro line on Thursday.

• The Red Line rail is the second intra-city rail line in the state after the inauguration of the Blue Line last year.

• The Red Line rail is expected to move 250,000 passengers daily when fully operational.

Eko Hot Blog reports that President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, formally inaugurated the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line delivered by the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to give urban commuters a new transport option within the nation’s economic metropolis.

The first phase of the 37-kilometre rail line, constructed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), was commissioned with seven stations built along its corridor, traversing Agbado — a boundary town in Ogun State — to Oyingbo in Lagos Central.

Speaking after commissioning the project, Tinubu commended Sanwo-Olu for the “giant stride” and for his faith in the state’s “strategic development blueprint” passed down to successive governments in the state by the Tinubu-led administration in Lagos.

The president said the Red Line inauguration marked another milestone in the state’s infrastructural progress, noting that the delivery of the project further validated his belief that democracy would work in society where leaders showed dedication to governance vision.

He observed that Lagos stood out as shining example of working democracy because its leadership made people’s welfare the central priority of its overarching vision and planning.

“Today, we are gathered for the inauguration of the second of the six rail lines planned in our strategic transportation master plan,” Tinubu stated.

“I commend the Lagos State Government under the leadership of Babajide Sanwo-Olu for this giant stride. He was part of this vision some 20 years ago, running around the world to look at working systems and come up with ideas to replicate here.

“I am delighted that we are inaugurating the first phase of the Red Line. Today is a day to be remembered for the infrastructural progress of our country, particularly Lagos.

“LAMATA has demonstrated that agency can work for people if it is guided by a vision and commitment to noble values. Much work still needs to be done in fostering strong working partnership between Federal Government and State Governments.

“We thank Lagosians and our political leaders in the State for believing in us. We said we can do it, you believed in us. We said we would be focused on the people, you believed in us. We said our efforts would end up in making people’s lives better, you believed in us. The progress of Lagos over the last 24 years is a constant reminder that true change is possible.”

The president noted that the history of the state would be kind to everyone involved in infrastructural transformation witnessed in Lagos, adding that any deviation from the state’s development master plan could derail the progress.

He urged the State’s leadership to persevere in the face of opposition to the ideas, while staying focused on the goals,”

The Red Line was inaugurated exactly 12 months after the State’s first light rail — Blue Line — was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The 13-kilometres project, started by ex-Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, traverses five stations between Mile 2 and Marina.

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